Are you loving the creative side of interior design but struggling to navigate the intricacies of running a successful business? Don’t worry—you’re not alone. Many successful interior designers find themselves in this exact same position. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and ill-equipped to handle the ins and outs of running a business, hiring an interior design business coach might be the solution.
An interior design business coach is a mentor and guiding light for designers seeking to elevate their businesses to new heights. Often having worked as interior designers themselves, an interior design business coach can share their own insights and experiences, and help you bypass common hurdles. Hiring an interior design business coach is a great way to help strengthen your business strategy, so your beautiful designs can flourish.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into why hiring an interior design business coach might be the right move for you, as well as shine a spotlight on the top business coaches, course creators, and template creators in the field.
Why hire an interior design business coach
The decision to hire an interior design business coach can be a game-changer for designers looking to elevate their business, whether it’s improving their services, defining their goals, increasing their revenue, figuring out a marketing strategy, or all of the above. Because as we all know, while creativity might fuel the design process, business acumen is the secret sauce for sustainable success. Here are 5 ways investing in an interior design business coach can help your business:
1. Strategic guidance
A business coach provides strategic guidance tailored to the unique needs of interior designers. From crafting business plans and developing marketing strategies to streamlining operations and getting your pricing right, they offer invaluable insights that have the power to propel your business forward. A business coach can also help you clarify your vision and set realistic yet ambitious goals that make sense for your business and life.
2. Accountability
In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, it’s easy to either lose sight of your goals or get so overwhelmed and bogged-down by the details that you struggle to stay on track. A business coach holds you accountable, ensuring you stay focused and motivated to achieve your objectives.
3. Skill development
Whether it’s honing your negotiation skills, mastering financial management, or improving your leadership abilities, a business coach equips you with the necessary skills to thrive in the competitive landscape of interior design. Interior Design business coaches often worked as designers themselves, and can shorten your own learning curve by sharing priceless intel from their own experiences.
4. Networking opportunities
Through their extensive networks, business coaches open doors to valuable connections within the industry. From potential clients and industry experts to a community of peers, these connections can be instrumental in fostering growth and collaboration, and also offering support.
5. Overcoming challenges
Every business faces challenges along the way. A seasoned business coach can help you navigate those obstacles. They’ll also help you increase your confidence and empower you to stay the course—or pivot, if necessary—through the inevitable challenges.
The top interior design business coaches and course creators
Now, let’s shine the spotlight on some of the leading interior design business coaches and course creators in the industry:
1. Nancy Ganzekaufer
Nancy Ganzekaufer is a renowned business (and life!) coach specializing in the interior design industry. Her holistic approach focuses on empowering growing entrepreneurs to maximize their profitability by mastering mindset, sales, marketing, communication, processes, and body language.
Courses and programs: Nancy offers courses and programs covering various aspects of interior design business management. You can work with Nancy 1:1 or join her group coaching program for interior designers, Profit Insiders Academy. Nancy also offers courses and templates in her online shop that cover topics such as pricing and body language confidence.
Watch our workshop with Nancy Ganzekaufer:
2. Kate Bendewald
In addition to running her own successful interior design business, Kate Bendewald is a business coach known for hosting the successful podcast “The Designer’s Oasis Podcast.”
Courses and programs: Kate’s The Interior Designer’s Business Blueprint course is designed to help you with the nuts and bolts of managing all the moving parts of your business. Her program includes in-depth masterclasses, live Q&A sessions, a designer’s resource library, live trainings, a private Facebook community, and an accountability partner network.
Watch our workshop with Kate Bendewald:
3. Kimberly Horton
Kimberly Horton is a 6-figure interior designer turned business coach, known for her expertise in streamlining business operations and maximizing efficiency.
Courses and programs: Kimberly’s program, Interior Design Laboratory features a suite of customizable resources and courses to help interior designers thrive in the industry. Her offerings include templates for Full-Service Design Fee Proposals and Client Questionnaires. She also teaches a course called 9-Step Approach to Implementing Wholesale and Maximizing Profit in Your Interior Design Business.
Watch our workshop with Kimberly Horton:
4. Gail Doby
Gail Doby brings 20 years of experience running her own design firm, in addition to degrees in Finance, Banking, and Interior Design to her coaching business. Her strategic insights and actionable advice have earned her widespread acclaim.
Courses and programs: Gail offers comprehensive programs covering a wide range of topics, including business planning, financial management, and client acquisition. Her coaching programs include everything from monthly coaching calls to a 3-day VIP experience.
Watch our workshop with Gail Doby:
5. Kimberley Seldon
As the Advocate in Chief for Business of Design and well-known podcast host, Kimberley Seldon is a household name in the interior design industry, known for her expertise in design business coaching and mentorship.
Courses and programs: Kimberley offers one-on-one coaching in the Business of Design’s proven systems for increasing profitability and success.
Watch our workshop with Kimberley Seldon:
6. Monique Nicole
Monique Nicole is a rising star in the world of interior design business coaching, with a unique background in corporate advertising. She brings her own experience as a 6-figure interior decorator to her coaching business.
Courses and programs: Monique’s popular Employee to CEO coaching program, with an arm each for both Interior Designers and Entrepreneurs, is a group coaching program to help emerging interior designers and entrepreneurs build, grow, and scale a profitable multi-figure business.
Watch our workshop with Monique Nicole:
7. Chaney Widmer
Known for running her own successful e-design business, Chaney Widmer is a self-taught designer who built her own business based on a desire to make design more accessible to everyone.
Courses and programs: Chaney offers a series of courses including How to Shoot Interiors, How to Create Design Boards in Photoshop, and The E-Design Business Blueprint.
Watch our workshop with Chaney Widmer:
8. Capella Kincheloe
Business coach Capella Kincheloe is passionate about helping designers connect with a community of their peers. Her coaching services are geared toward helping designers design a business they love.
Courses and programs: Capella’s courses focus on guiding you through the steps of strategizing, setting up, and streamlining your interior design services (both virtual and in-person). She also offers one-on-one 55-minute coaching calls, which you can book directly through her site. Her site also offers many helpful templates and free resources.
Watch our workshop with Capella Kincheloe:
9. Kim Kapellusch
Kim Kapellusch is the owner of a vacant staging and interior design services business, who also coaches designers on how to set up their own interior design or staging business.
Courses and programs: Kim’s classes include an interior design certificate course, live trainings, hands-on exercises, and more.
Watch our workshop with Kim Kapellusch:
10. Misty Molloy
At the helm of CoCreative Collective, Misty Molloy is an interior designer and business coach focused on teaching designers how to make six figures in their business without sacrificing work-life balance.
Courses and programs: Misty’s program is unique in that it sets up your systems and tools for you, and then takes you through a step-by-step training on how to use those systems and tools. You also receive ongoing systems maintenance, community support, live Q&A calls, and more.
Watch our workshop with Misty Molloy:
11. Salimah Mamdani
Whether you lack a niche, struggle with what content to post, or don’t know what to charge, Salimah Mamdani specializes in helping designers who are in a rut get un-stuck.
Courses and programs: Salimah’s Clients Academy program provides the training, tools, and strategies needed for attracting ideal clients and charging your desired fees. Great for self-starters, her no-fluff program takes you through the 5 steps, including clarifying your vision, identifying your signature service and ideal clients, pricing, creating a website that converts, and generating content.
Watch our workshop with Salimah Mamdani:
12. Audra Slinkey
In addition to being a business coach, Audra Slinkey is a home staging expert who has been featured in several publications, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.
Courses and programs: Audra offers courses in a variety of topics to help you both build your business and improve your skills. Her couress include Home Staging accreditation, color, AirBNB Design, E-Design and more.
Watch our workshop with Audra Slinkey:
Conclusion
In the dynamic world of interior design, hiring an interior design business coach isn’t just about gaining the necessary tools to build, grow, and scale a successful and sustainable business—it’s an investment in yourself and your vision. With the right guidance, you can transform your passion into lasting success. By tapping into expert insights and support, you’ll be empowered to navigate challenges, refine your strategies, and ultimately elevate your business, and make your design dreams a reality.
